bvlenci

I think there's plenty to enjoy in Milan for a visit of several days, especially for a child. It's a city, though, not a quaint village. I happen to love Milan. Here is a collection of some photos I took on a Christmas visit there seven years ago.

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/...wnwR5QhYoU1lS3

Milan is very festive at Christmas, and the Christmas season in Italy lasts through Epiphany (January 6th). They even have trams ablaze with Christmas lights (not all of them though). Whenever I saw one, it was moving too fast for me to get a night photo.

In Piazza del Duomo, there is a big Christmas tree, and there is usually some sort of music going on. You should absolutely go to the terraces on the roof of the Duomo, which are full of medieval stone sculptures, a real fairyland of stone.

Another part of Milan that's very nicely decorated is the Grande Naviglio, one of the few remaining canals in Milan. The canal is lined with trendy bars and restaurants, and you can ride a canal boat to see the decorations.

You and your daughter might enjoy a visit to the Scala theatre museum.

The Sforzesco castle in central Milan is one of Italy's largest and best preserved. Inside there are various museums, including a museum of musical instruments, an Egyptian collection, and a great many works of Italian art. On Saturday afternoons there are free concerts at one of the exhibit halls.

If you like art, one of my favorite museums, the Brera Gallery, is in Milan. It's not huge, so you can easily see it without getting tired.

I don't think a day trip to Venice is a crazy idea, although I would wait to see what the weather's like. Many people make day trips from Rome to Pompeii, which takes the same amount of time, and requires a change of train. You can get to Venice by direct high-speed train in about 2 1/2 hours. Trains run about every half on that route, and you could easily spend six or seven hours in Venice on a day trip, without getting up too early or staying out terribly late. You can save money if you buy tickets in advance, but I wouldn't buy too far in advance, because you might not want to go if it's pouring rain. You could buy your tickets at any train station when you arrive in Milan, after checking the forecast. You'd miss the best discounts by then, but at least you could be fairly sure of decent weather. At full price, a round trip for one adult and one child would be about €140.

If the weather is not pleasant, you might consider a day trip to Bergamo, which is much closer, on a train line that costs a lot less. The upper town of Bergamo is supposed to be very nice; I've never been, myself, but it's well known for its medieval charm. Another nice town, not far from Milan, is Piacenza. Or you could take a day trip to Lugano, in Italian Switzerland. All three of these towns are about an hour away by train from Milan.